Vortex Impact 1000 Range Finder
The Impact 1000 is Vortex’s entry-level laser rangefinder monocular, released in mid-2020. The name is derived from the devices ability to range reflective targets out to 1000 yards. A naming convention that is carried over in the brands more expensive Ranger 1800 and Razor HD 4000 models.
Immediate impressions upon picking up the device are that it is light, without feeling flimsy or cheap. The unit weighs just under 160grams (with battery and lanyard) and fits easily in an average sized adult hand. Included in the box are a wrist lanyard, soft carry case, lens cloth, instruction manual, a field card showing slope angle compensation in both MOA and MRAD, and a CR2 battery.
The rangefinder has 6x magnification and both the 24mm objective and the ocular lens have anti-reflective coatings for improved image clarity and low-light performance. It is worth noting, the lens coatings are the lowest grade of Vortex’s advertised finishes. As may be expected from a 6x24mm optic, colour and clarity in fading light is quickly lost in comparison to the naked eye.
Not that the light gathering capabilities of the optic is the limiting factor in the Impact 1000’s low light performance. Unlike its more expensive stable mates and some competitors similarly priced rangefinders, the Impact 1000 does not have an illuminated display but relies on a simple black LCD. In very low light, for example when peering into deep shadows, the display becomes indistinguishable from the dark background.
Low-light capabilities aside, the Impact 1000 is tough, simple and includes all the features that I imagine bow hunters and most rifle hunters need in a rangefinder. The device’s operating temperature is -10 degrees Celsius to 55 degrees Celsius, well exceeding the comfortable and safe operating range of most Australian hunters. The rangefinder is also waterproof and impact resistant. I could not find published IK (impact protection) or IP (ingress protection) ratings, but this really does not matter as like all Vortex products the Impact 1000 is covered by Vortex VIP Warranty. So should you accidently drown, crush or break the unit in some other creative way Vortex will repair or replace it free. Amazingly the VIP Warranty is a fully transferable unlimited lifetime warranty, with no receipt or registration required. The only things Vortex do not cover are loss, deliberate misuse/damage and cosmetic damage.
With only two buttons, ‘menu’ and ‘measure’, the rangefinder is very simple to use. Should you need a guide to how the rangefinder works the instructions are clearly written and well illustrated.
Once the battery is installed the Impact 1000 is ready to use. Pressing the ‘measure’ button once turns the device on, activating the LCD display. Pressing the measure button a second time activates the laser and in less than second the unit displays the distance to whatever was in the crosshairs. After a few seconds of being idle the rangefinder turns itself off, saving battery power. One CR2 battery is advertised to last 5000 activations of the laser and the LCD display includes a battery gauge, so you should avoid any nasty surprises at the critical moment of a hunt.
Through the menu function the rangefinder can be set to yards or metres, and to provide either line of sight distance with angle or ‘Horizontal Component Distance’ (HCD). In HCD mode the user is provided with a true ballistic distance to the target. That is a distance which accounts for the change in bullet drop as a result of the slope angle. There can be a considerable difference between line of sight and true ballistic distance when shooting up or down steep slopes, while the maths is a little more complicated than I care to explore, the difference equates to approximately 30% at 45 degrees (at least that is rule of thumb established by the US Army some decades ago). For a pretty typical .308 load that equates to over 45cm less bullet drop at 500m, certainly more than enough deviation to result in a clean miss or worse, if not accounted for.
While in HCD mode the Impact 1000 calculates a compensated distance out to 730m for slopes to 15 degrees, and out to 366m for slopes between 15 and 30 degrees. If you find yourself in the New Zealand mountains and must squeeze off a shot at tahr with a slope greater than 30 degrees, you can employ line of sight mode and the Vortex field card to calculate the adjusted bullet drop in either MOA or MRAD.
According to Vortex the Impact 1000 can range deer sized targets out to 500yd or 457m, trees to 800yd or 731m and reflective targets to 1000yd or 914m. In my own tests I have consistently ranged deer and sheep out to 400m and trunks of very large gums out to 890m. No matter what I’ve pointed the rangefinder at so far I have not got a reading beyond 900m. I’ve also found it difficult to get a range through intervening branches, light scrub and rain—something that the technology in the top of line Razor HD 4000 is able to overcome.
The stated accuracy for the Impact 1000 is +/- 1 yard @ 100 yards. Although I have had no accurate means to test this in the field the results returned at the shooting range out to the 500m mound have all been within a metre or two of anticipated distance.
The Impact 1000 will not suit every hunter, and will be of no use to shooters trying to ring steel plates beyond 1000m away. Despite its limitations, the Impact 1000 will meet the needs of most Australian hunters with its rugged simplicity. While there are comparable offerings from competitors, some with similar features at lower prices, the Vortex VIP Warranty provides the additional peace of mind that an Impact 1000 should be a once in a lifetime purchase.
The recommended retail price in Australia is currently $525, shopping around will uncover discounted prices online; however, be wary of grey imports as they are explicitly excluded from the VIP Warranty according to the fine print on the Vortex Optics website.